The Lift-Out Ash Tray and Other Grate Heater Options

Here's a truth about fireplaces: the fire's the fun part, and the ash is the chore. A good grate heater makes more heat. A good ash tray makes less mess.

Our ASH removable steel ash tray is a lift-out tray matched and fitted to our grate heaters. It's an option on the GR, TGR and DGR.

If you're new here, start with the heater. The Hard Times Heater (HTH) is the easy first step. The GR line is the full grate. An open fireplace is an air leak, sending warm room air up the chimney. Our heaters sit in the coal zone and blow heated air back into the room. The ash tray just makes living with that fire easier.

Two ways to fit it

The ash tray comes in two styles:

• Default, sits on top. The tray sits atop the tubes. This is the standard choice.
• Short, slides under. This tray slides underneath the heater. It needs the heater's legs extended, which adds 3" to the overall height clearance, so check your opening height first.

Please leave a note in the cart with the dimensions of your grate, so the tray is matched to your heater.

Why use one

• Faster cleanup. Lift the tray out and carry the ash away, instead of shoveling around the tubes.
• Less ash dust. Debris stays in the tray, not scattered across the hearth.
• A trade-off worth knowing. The tray reduces heating output by about 8%, in exchange for much simpler cleanup. Your results vary with fire size, wood, draft, spacing, fan speed, home and local winter energy prices; figures are estimates, not test results.

Lift it out, toss it out, and that's what clean's about.

Other custom options

The ash tray isn't the only way to set up your heater:

• Finish. Seasoned steel is the default, like a cast iron pan. Rub it with cooking oil when it's cold, and it darkens with use. Paint is a custom option.
• Variable speed. Variable speed fan control is a custom option. It lets you dial airflow and fan noise up or down.

Which heater is it for?

• The GR is our straight tubular grate, 7 to 18 tubes and 14" to 36" wide.
• The TGR tapers to fit trapezoid fireboxes, wider in front and narrower behind.
• The DGR has two rows of tubes, 13 to 35 by width, for big rooms and long winters.

All are fully welded, with blower-cooled tubes in the coal zone and turbulent flow. They're designed by an aerospace engineer and built in Texas. We've been family operated since 2000. With Pre-Order, your heater is built to fit your fireplace.

Before you pick, measure your firebox with our fireplace dimensions guide: front width, back width, height, and depth at the bottom and the top. If you're adding the slide-under tray, remember the extra 3" of height.

Add it to your order

Add the ash tray alongside your heater, pick your style, and leave your grate dimensions in the cart note.

A quick cleanup routine

Let the fire die down and the ash go fully cold, ideally overnight. Lift the tray straight up and out, and carry it outside to a metal bucket with a lid. Set the tray back in place before the next fire. A little care each morning keeps the hearth tidy all winter long.

Got a welder?

The DIY kit is 35% off the ready-built heater, for folks with a welder and metalworking skills. The discount applies to qualifying heaters, not accessories like the ash tray. See how it works on our DIY kit page.